In his reply to the debate on the State of the Nation address in Parliament on Thursday, President Jacob Zuma took pride in the interventions orchestrated by his government in fixing some problems, but also took responsibility for neglecting others.
Zuma had answers for some queries raised by MPs during the debate, such as those who questioned whether anti-corruption units were useful and whether there were any progress in linking state grants to economic activity.
He admitted to the mess in the education sector in the Eastern Cape and vowed to change the environment for pupils and teachers.
It was clear Zuma did not appreciate the carping by opposition MPs about the capacity of the state to do its work.
In a riposte to MPs such as the Democratic Alliance’s Anchen Dreyer, who said she was tired of “empty promises, he replied: “A number of honourable members questioned the capacity of the state of carry out the undertakings we have made. We would like to assure this house that we have been putting systems in place to improve the performance of the state.”
On the national planning commission, Zuma announced a deadline of November when the government would have to complete the plan they’ve been working on since its inception.
Intervention in the Eastern Cape
The public service will see a sudden ballooning of staff in line with Zuma’s directive that all vacancies must be filled within three months.
Zuma gave hope to pupils in the Eastern Cape by saying he was “considering a sustainable intervention for the Eastern Cape” following a barrage of complaints from the province as to how the the school feeding scheme has collapsed, textbooks have not been delivered and school transport had come to a halt.
Zuma promised that 100 mud schools would be replaced this year.
COP17
Zuma did not address the plea by African Christian Demoratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe to apologise for his electioneering statement that those who vote for the ANC would go to heaven and instead echoed Meshoe’s insistence on improving discipline.
Zuma also devoted several paragraphs to the COP17 climate change conference on Thursday, which he failed to mention in his address.
“As an African country, we will use the opportunity to showcase the way in which climate change impacts on our country and Africa, as well as the responses we are implementing.”
Zuma noted criticism from MPs that social grants increased dependency and told the house about projects in the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng where more than 17Â 000 beneficiaries of social grants were linked to “income generating opportunities”.
Even though this is the year of the local government elections, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sicelo Shiceka did not get an opportunity to speak in the debate.
To make up for it Zuma told MPs on Thursday that initiatives were being put in place to support municipalities.
He also announced that South Africa had taken the first steps in establishing formal diplomatic relations with Somalia.
Zuma also came in for criticism after his address last week in which he failed to mention former president Thabo Mbeki’s role in the recently held Sudanese referendum. On Thursday Zuma put this right by congratulating Mbeki, but then stressed the former president had been acting “under the auspices of the African Union”.